FDA Approves "Pink Viagra," Twice-Rejected Sex Pill For Women
Tuesday evening, the Food and Drug Administration approved female libido drug flibanserin, making it the first accepted medication for treating low sexual desire in women, The New York Times reports.
The agency had previously rejected the drug—often called “pink Viagra” but to be marketed as Addyi—in 2010 and 2013 before an FDA advisory panel voted 18-6 to recommend its approval in June.
While advocates have suggested Addyi’s delayed approval was the result of gender bias, critics have questioned the safety of the “mediocre aphrodisiac.” From the L.A. Times:
In an editorial published by the Journal of the American Medical Assn. last month, three members of the FDA advisory panel that considered flibanserin in June complained that the agency was adjudicating questions about the drug’s safety and effectiveness in a “politically charged atmosphere.”
A campaign called “Even the Score” has suggested gender bias at the FDA has left women with sexual problems stranded, while waving through 26 products to enhance men’s sex lives. The lobbying campaign was launched and largely funded by [manufacturer Sprout Pharmaceuticals] but joined by women’s health advocates and consumer groups.
According to Sprout, Addyi could be available as early as October 17.
[Image via AP Images]